4Z03 


Duke  University  Libraries 

Circular  ... 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #209 


C.  S.  WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

Nitre  and  Mining  Bureau, 

Richmond^  Dec.  1,  1863. 

Nitre  is  urgently  wanted  for  the  public  defence.  At  present  it  is  the 
first  want  of  the  service.  No  words  can  sufficiently  impress  this  want 
upon  the  patriotic  families  of  the  interior  districts,  which  have  been  inten- 
tionally reserved  to  meet  the  military  contingencies  of  the  frontiers.  The 
time  has  now  come  for  a  serious  and  persistent  effort.  To  insure  complete 
success,  the  first  essential  is  an  active  cooperation  from  householders  in 
towns,  and  from  the  planting  interest  in  the  country — more  especially 
from  heads  of  families.  It  is  surely  enough  to  state  earnestly,  but  very 
earnestly,  a  public  want  of  such  universal  and  vital  int<'rest,  to  secure 
every  where  a  careful  reading  and  patient  application  of  the  following 
notes : 

Nitre, 

or  the  nitrate  of  potash,  is  well  known  to  be  composed  of  nitric  acid  and 
potash,  in  parts  of  54  and  46,  very  nearly.  It  is  obtained  from  both  arti- 
ficial and  natural  sources,  but  seldom  pure.  The  nitrates  of  other  salts, 
and  especially  of  lime,  are  generally  used  to  produce  nitre,  the  substitu- 
tion of  potash  for  lime  being  effected  by  a  simple  process  hereafter  to  be 
explained. 

The  natural  deposits  occur  chiefly  in  the  warmer  latitudes  or  in  shel- 
tered localities,  and  mainly  thus:  minute  crystals  penetrating  the  porous 
rocks  of  limestone  countries — an  incrustation  or  efflorescence,  covering 
in  instances  large  districts  of  countries  not  subject  to  heavy  rains;  and 
in  beds  of  nitrous  earth  spread  over  the  floors  and  covering  the  rock  re- 
cesses of  limestone  caves.  In  the  last  are  found  some  of  the  most  valu- 
able deposits  worked  in  the  Confederate  States. 

The  domestic  or  artificial  sources  for  the  more  useful  nitrates  are  very 
numerous,  but  are  all  governed  by  the  same  general  conditions : 

1st.  The  presence  of  some  mineral  base,  lime,  potash  or  soda;  as  sup- 
plied in  ordinary  soils,  and  especially  in  marl  and  limestone  countries. 

2d.  The  combinations  of  nitric  acid  with  the  above  named  bases;  the 
acid  in  most  cases  coming  from  the  decomposition  of  house  refuse,  animal 
and  vegetable  matter,  manure  and  substances  containing  nitrogen:  and, 
as  some  contend,  directly  from  the  atmosphere.    Certain  plants,  tobacco, 


sunflowers,  cornstalks  and  others  mentioned  in  chemical  works,  are  espe- 
cially useful. 

3d.  To  aid  and  hasten  this  decomposition,  a  close  humid  atmosphere, 
but  not  wet.  And  to  protect  the  nitre  formed  from  the  wind  and  rain,  the 
presence  of  buildings,  sheds  or  some  covering  material  is  essential. 

4th.  Time  sufficient  for  the  decomposition  of  materials  and  the  recom- 
bination of  the  chemical  constituents  of  nitre. 

From  these  conditions,  it  is  evident  that  the  most  directly  available 
source  of  home  supply,  is  the  collection  of  nitrous  earth  from  under  old 
dwellings  and  negro  quarters,  and  also  old  cattle  sheds,  stables,  slaughter 
houses,  old  mortar  and  plaster  heaps,  markets,  tobacco  shops  and  barns, 
and  in  other  similar  structures,  dry  and  old. 

Artificial  nitre  beds  can  be  prepared  according  to  the  well  known  prin- 
ciples and  directions  given  in  Knapp's  Chemical  Technology,  Ure's  Dic- 
tionary and  other  works,  accessible  in  every  complete  public  libraiy: 
also,  by  applying  to  authorized  agents  of  this  bureau,  who  will  give  all 
known  information  upon  the  subject.  But  in  view  of  immediate  results 
(and  the  large  government  establishments  for  nitre  beds),  it  is  earnestly 
recommended  that  the  attention  of  the  community  be  first  directed,  and 
vigorously,  to  reducing  all  nitrous  earth  that  can  be  found. 

In  a  crisis  like  our  own,  the  old  French  Republic  derived  the  larger 
portion  of  its  nitre  supplies  from  domestic  sources.  And  still  many  of 
the  European  countries  encourage  and  depend  upon  the  same  supplies. 
In  Sweden,  taxes  among  the  peasantry  are  paid  in  saltpetre;  and  in 
Prussia,  Switzerland  and  France,  nitre  beds  continue  under  government 
auspices. 

During  the  present  war,  considerable  quantities  have  been  obtained 
from  old  buildings.  In  one  notable  case,  among  many  others,  a  lady  in 
Roanoke  County,  Va.,  whose  husband  was  in  the  Army,  produced  500 
pounds  from  two  or  three  plantation  buildings.     To  obtain  similar  resuhs 

on  a  large  scale.  It  is  only  nccesisary  to  C3:amino  earth  judiciously,  and  tO 

persevere  patiently,  disregarding  shght  discouragements,  and  bearing 
steadily  in  mind  that  any  quantity,  however  small,  is  a  patriotic  contri- 
bution. 

There  are  many  chemical  tests  for  nitrous  earth,  but  requiring  chemi' 
cal  agents  now  seldom  accessible.  In  rich  earth  the  presence  of  nitrt' 
is  apparent  to  the  taste;  and  mixed  dry  with  powdered  charcoal  and 
thrown  on  burning  coals,  it  will  deflagrate  or  burn  with  sparkling  and  a 
crackling  noise.  Ordinary  earth,  however,  can  only  be  tested  by  follow- 
ing in  small  quantities  the  process  of  manufacture,  viz :  to  drip  two  or 


3 

three  bushels  of  earth,  treat  with  lye,  and  boil  down  to  crystallization. 
The  resulting  long  needle-shaped  crystals  cannot  be  well  mistaken. 
*  The  followiug'  directions  may  be  improved  upon,  according  to  local 
necessities;  but  in  commencing  with  small  quantities,  the  simpler  the 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  WORK. 

Scrape  up,  to  the  depth  of  from  six  to  nine  inches,  all  earths  supposed 
to  contain  nitre.  It  sometimes  penetrates  loose  earth  over  eighteen  inches. 
Put  this  earth  loosely  into  barrels,  vats  or  hoppers,  witb  straw  or  brush, 
six  inches  deep  iii  the  bottom  of  each  barrel.  If  the  earth  contains  much 
clay,  mix  in  sand  to  permit  a  free  percolation  of  water.  Place  these  bar- 
rels, &c.  where  they  can  be  readily  filled  Avith  water,  with  a  trough  along 
tlie  bottom  under  the  spiggot  holes,  to  receive  the  drip. 

Pour  in  as  much  water  as  the  barrels  will  take.  Let  the  water  soak  in 
the  earth  at  least  twelve  hours,  filling  up  as  it  settles.  When  the  spiggots 
are  drawn,  let  the  drip  continue  until  all  is  exhausted. 

Drip  each  barrel  at  least  twice;  and  it  is  better  so  to  arrange  them  that 
Ihe  second  dripping  may  be  made  with  liquor  caught  from  the  first  drip- 
ping, adding  new  water  when  necessary.  Warm  or  tepid  water  is  best. 
(If  barrels  cannot  be  procured,  use  ordinary  lye  hoppers.) 

It  would  always  be  better  to  pass  this  same  liquor  through  another 
barrel  of  fresh  earth;  and  many  persons  pass  it  through  three  or  four 
barrels  of  fresh  earth,  care  being  taken  each  time  to  add  sufficient  fresh 
water  to  carry  off  the  nitrates  completely.  To  convert  this  solution  into 
nitrate  of  potash,  use  common  ash  lye — thus : 

Pour  the  liquor  into  a  vat  or  barrel,  to  be  used  for  this  purpose  alone; 
add  lye,  and  the  liquor  will  curdle ;  allow  it  time  to  settle,  and  then  add 
more  lye;  and  so  long  as  the  curdling  or  clouding  continues,  lye  must  be 
added.  The  proper  proportion  of  lye  can  readily  be  found,  by  taking 
one  quart  of  the  liquor,  and  finding  how  much  lye  it  requires,  and  then 
adding  in  proportion  for  the  barrel.  It  may  be  set  down  as  something 
like  an  average,  that  it  will  require  one  quart  of  lye  for  every  four  quarts 
of  liquor;  but  this  cannot  be  taken  as  a  guide;  for  some  earths  are 
stronger  than  others,  and  the  lye  is  never  of  the^  same  strength  at  any 
two  places.  It  is  merely  mentioned  to  give  some  idea  of  the  relative 
quantities. 

The  lye  having  been  added,  and  the  liquor  allowed  to  settle  (it  will 
sometimes  take  10  or  ] 2  hours  to  settle  thoroughly),  pour  off  the  clear 
liquor  from  the  top,  through  a  straining  cloth,  into  a  large  iron  pot  or 


kettle,  and  boil  it  down  until  a  drop  taken  up  on  the  end  of  a  stick  and 
let  fall  upon  a  cold  surface  (sucli  as  an  axe  blade  or  a  plate),  will  quickjy 
harden  or  crystallize.  Then  pour  it  oft",  through  a  straining  cloth,  into  a 
shallow  trough  or  tub,  to  shoot.  Set  it  away  now  in  some  cool  place, 
and  let  it  remain  for  12  or  J 5  hours,  and  then  collect  the  crystals,  and 
return  the  liquor  which  does  not  shoot  to  the  kettle  to  be  boiled  again. 
These  crystals  should  be  drained  and  thoroughly  dried  in  the  sun,  and 
they  are  then  ready  for  shipment  to  the  government  refinery.  During 
the  boiling  it  will  be  necessary  frequently  to  fill  up  the  kettles  with  fresh 
liquor  as  it  boils  down,  so  that  you  can  have  a  sufficient  quantity  for 
shooting  well  when  boiled  down  to  the  point  of  crystallization. 

By  leaving  out  from  the  above  directions  the  portion  referring  to  ash 
lye,  they  are  also  applicable  to  the  manufacture  of  saltpetre  from  tobacco 
bams.  In  this  case  the  liquor,  just  as  it  comes  from  the  hoppers,  is  set 
away  to  settle  for  12  or  15  hours.  It  would  even  be  advantageous  to  run 
it  through  sand  or  leached  ashes,  simply  to  clean  it  before  boiling.  After 
it  has  been  settled  well,  or  filtered  as  sbove  suggested,  the  liquor  is  boiled 
down  to  the  point  of  crystallization,  as  indicated  in  the  foregoing  di- 
rections. 

Those  tobacco  barns  which  have  been  regularly  swept  from  year  to 
year,  and  the  sweepings  taken  out  for  manure,  will  not  be  apt  to  contain 
much  nitrous  earth.  This  is  especially  the  case  where  the  floor  is  of  very 
hard  clay.  But  those  barns  whose  floors  are  of  a  light,  friable  earth,  or 
where  the  ashes  (made  in  firing  the  tobacco)  have  been  allowed  to  accu- 
mulate, will  generally  be  found  rich  in  nitrous  earth. 

All  nitre  or  saltpetre  thus  obtained  should  be  forwarded: 

In  Virginia,  to  Nitre  and  Mining  Bureau,  Richmond,  or  to  John  R. 
Todd,  Saltpetre  Refinery,  Lynchburg. 

In  North  Carolina,  to  Capt.  C.  R.  Barney,  Greensboro'. 

In  South  Carolina,  to  Prof.  F.  S.  Holmes,  Columbia. 

In  Georgia,  to  Prof.  N.  A.  Pratt,  Bureau  Chemist,  Augusta,  and  Mr. 
H.  P.  Fanou,  Kingston,  Bartow.couuty. 

In  Alabama,  Capt.  W.  H.  C.  Price,  Auburn. 

In  Florida,  Lieut.  C.  H.  Latrobe,  Tallahassee. 

In  Mississippi,  Dr.  D.  R.  Lemmon,  Jackson. 

Further  information  can  be  obtained,  by  communicating  directly  with 
these  officers. 

I.  M.  ST.  JOHN, 

Lt.  Col.  Sf  Chief  Bureau. 


Note. — Some  persona  may  not  be  able  to  work  steadily  in  the  manu- 
facture of  nitre.  If  such  persons  would  employ  rainy  days  or  other  in- 
clement weather,  for  filling  their  banels  or  hoppers,  this  being  the  only 
hard  labor  required,  the  servants  about  every  country  house,  under  the 
direction  of  the  ladies,  could  avail  themselves  of  the  milder  days  for  pour- 
ing on  the  water  and  completing  the  process. 

In  sending  saltpetre,  be  particular  that  the  direction  is  distinct,  as  this 
will  avoid  much  conftision.  It  would  be  well  to  write  on  each  box  the 
number  of  pounds  sent,  the  name  of  the  maker,  and  his  post  ofBce ;  also 
write  by  the  first  mail,  giving  the  same  information. 


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Hollinger  Corp. 
pH8.5 


